


A Complex Fool and A Simple Fool

by burnintoash (funnymorning)



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Inspired by a Movie, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-22 15:59:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11970741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/funnymorning/pseuds/burnintoash
Summary: Daniel and Sungwoon fall in love, and discover that falling in love was the easy part. Everything else is difficult when you are in high school and still trying to find your way through.Based on the movie Doukyuusei.





	1. The First Summer

**Author's Note:**

> As it says so on the label, this is based on the movie Doukyuusei, which I strongly suggest to watch if you haven't done so. It is one of the pure animes about boys in love without the additional cringy/problematic tags.
> 
> Although it is based on the movie, you don't need to know the movie beforehand to read this. I've also changed some of the movie character's personality/background to fit Sungwoon and Daniel better. But in return, I have to change Sungwoon and Daniel a little in characterisation to fit the movie a little bit better. (That sounds patronising because they are real people but I hope you know what I mean). The movie also has some implied student-teacher relationship which I omitted out because we don't do that kind of thing here. 
> 
> One last note: Sungwoon and Daniel are the same age in this fic, and Sungwoon also wear prescription glasses like us regular farsighted people - none of those fake glassless specs. -.-

“Choir?” Daniel mutters, with as much distaste as he can muster.

 

“Really, Teach? In this class? Do you think any of these morons can hold a tune?” He complains, but his voice is drown out by the similar protests from 29 other students around him, resulting in a squeaky cacophony of teenage frustration noises.

 

“Silence!” Teach shouts, banging his wooden ruler on the desk a few times before sighing heavily. “We have about two months of time guys. We can make it if we practice hard enough.”

 

“Why do _we_ have to do it?” Seongwoo raises his hand and asks.

 

“Because the senior class has their matriculation exam coming up and the junior class is below the age limit.” Teach replies. “C’mon. You guys will be graduating next year. You should look forward to making as many memories with your classmates as you can!”

 

Everyone simultaneously groans.

 

“The prize money is 500,000 won.” Teach says, and everyone shuts up. “If we win, I’ll push the principal to use that money for our class field trip this year.”

 

“Jejudo!” Daniel shouts. He is tired of their field trips always being to Taejeongdae or Gamcheon. They live in Busan for crying out loud. All of them had been to those places even before they start school.

 

“Call.” Teach nods, and the people around Daniel give impressed _oohs._ “Plus, it’ll look good on your college application letters.”

 

There are still a few groans but most people seem to be onboard with the idea. Teach nods happily, and pulls out a stack of papers from his bag. “Sungwoon, help me distribute these. I am gonna make sure to teach you guys so well that I’ll be crying at how good you all sound by the end of May.”

 

“No, we don’t want to see you cry.” Someone giggles from the back rows.

 

Daniel takes two sheets of paper from the class monitor and passes one to Seongwoo.

 

“Is all-boys choir even a thing?” Daniel asks, skimming over the music notes and lyrics printed on the paper. “What are these?”

 

Seongwoo shrugs from beside him. “Fuck if I know.”

 

“Daniel and Seongwoo,” Teach calls. “Since you guys are already done reading apparently, you want to start?”

 

“Err..” Daniel drawls. “We would love to, but we can’t read music notes.”

 

“Aren’t you two in a dance group?” Teach asks back.

 

“The best dance group in Busan. Yeah, absolutely.” Seongwoo grins and Daniel gives him a thumbs up under the desk. “But they don’t teach us these over there.”

 

“Then, you’d better shut up and listen.” Teach says, and Daniel gives him a mock salute. Teach just rolls his eyes, and pulls out a legit folded keyboard from his gym bag.

 

Seongwoo snorts before leaning in to whisper. “He must have been looking forward to this.”

 

“Let’s start.” Teach says, fingers tapping at a couple of keys. “From the first line.”

 

They tried for about 20 minutes, and it sounds as ear pleasing as 30 deaf pterodactyls screeching in chaos, so yeah.

 

That’s that.

 

* * *

 

“Wanna go eat ramen after dance practice?” Daniel asks Seongwoo. They are in front of the lockers, Seongwoo dumping all his books into his locker since this week is Daniel’s turn to do homework and Seongwoo to copy.

 

“No, let’s get something now.” Seongwoo replies. “I’m starving. I want burgers.”

 

“Cool,” Daniel nods. All this food talk just reminded him that he needs to bring back the lunch box his mom packed the egg rolls in this morning. The lunch box, which, _great_ , he has left under his desk in class.

 

“Ergh,” he groans. Guess he will be getting extra leg exercise today because now he needs to climb back 3 sets of stairs to go and get his lunch box.

 

“McDonalds? Go ahead and get us a table. I forgot my lunch box in class.” He says to Seongwoo, who just waves back at him without even a glance. Daniel skips down the hallway, hands in his uniform pockets. He could have left it until tomorrow but then his mom would scold him and derail into him being irresponsible, just like the last time he had forgotten his lunch box. He doesn’t even need a lunchbox since they have school lunch but his mom insists from time to time, especially on days when she cooked too much dinner the previous night and has leftovers. Daniel could also, of course, talk to her about being responsible with her cooking portion, but then, that’d just be asking for pain and death.

 

“Lunch box. Lunch box.” Daniel sings quietly to himself as he gets to the top of the stairs. Can’t wait until he graduates to senior class and can move to the senior homeroom which is on the ground floor.

 

Someone is singing.

Daniel stops in his track. The voice is coming out from his class. Good thing it is like 5 in the evening. It’d be downright spooky if this is late night and he is standing in a deserted school hall way, the only noise being a sharp singing voice coming out of an empty school room.

 

“ _I see in your eyes turning to me… the new leaves that are growing…_ ”

 

Huh. Those are the lyrics to the song they are practicing for the choir festival.

 

Daniel slides the class room door open to see someone sitting on their desk, with their back to where Daniel is standing. The stubborn door gives a loud squeaky creak, and the lone occupant of the room turns their head.

 

“Yo,” Daniel gives an awkward wave to Sungwoon, the class monitor and the dude he really knows nothing much about. He only knows that Sungwoon is kind of a teacher’s pet and always at the top of the class. But apparently, he can sing too, huh? The universe is so generous sometimes.

 

“Hey,” Sungwoon says, gripping at the lyrics sheet in his hand.

 

“Forgot my lunch box,” Daniel gestures towards his desk and makes a dash for it.

 

“Right.”

 

“You … sound nice.” Daniel says, grabbing his lunch box out of his desk drawer and shoving it into his backpack. “I mean, better than what we practiced earlier.”

 

“Anything is better than what we practiced earlier.” Sungwoon snorts.

 

“Yeah,” Daniel raises his eyebrows and laughs. “You can read music notes?”

 

“Played piano when I was younger.” Sungwoon says.

 

“Huh.” Daniel just says. “How do you sing the second line again? I couldn’t get it right earlier but when you sings, it kinda sound …” _beautiful_ “… okay.”

 

“Oh.” Sungwoon says and looks down at the sheet in his hand. “ _The new leaves … that are growing…_ ” He sings, quietly without much waver in his tone.

 

“ _That are growing._ ” Daniel repeats after him.

 

“Not like that.” Sungwoon says and gets down from where he is sitting to come next to Daniel and points his pen at the line where the lyrics are written. “See here. There is a pause and then an upbeat. You need to bring that part to a higher note.”

 

“ _The new leaves … that are growing._ ” Daniel tries again.

 

“Better,” Sungwoon nods and points his pen at the next line. “ _The wind of the spring rustling, in the land full of trees … someday they’ll come with you._ ”

 

“We haven’t done that part in class yet.” Daniel raises an eyebrow at him.

 

Sungwoon just shrugs. “Yeah, but just looking at the score…”

 

“You are a musical genius. I got it,” Daniel laughs and Sungwoon takes back his lyrics sheet.

 

“I’m just saying. Don’t be patronizing.”

 

“Sorry, I’m just messing around.” Daniel quickly says. Sungwoon gives him an unsure smile. “Anyway, I’m just kind of surprised that you are into this … choir thing, you know. You never really do any kind of extra activities.”

 

“Most extra activities are after school and I usually have after-school study sessions and night classes.” Sungwoon shrugs. Right. Top of the class. “Plus, In Cheol hyung … I mean, Teach is really into this so I don’t wanna let him down.”

 

In Cheol hyung, huh? Guess there are some grounds to rumors of Teach favoring Sungwoon because their families know each other.

 

“You don’t have after-school things today then?” Daniel asks. Whatever Teach and Sungwoon’s relationship is, it is none of his business.

 

“I have at 6.” Sungwoon says, grabbing his backpack. “I actually need to leave now. Bye.”

 

“Do …” Daniel calls before Sungwoon can go out of the class room. “ .. you want to meet? To practice singing? Well, to teach me singing, I guess. Until the choir festival?”

 

 _Huh?_ is written all over Sungwoon’s face. Then, he leans forward slightly and says “Uh… sure.”

 

Daniel is surprised at the _yes_ but to be honest, he is more surprised at himself for making that offer.

 

“See you then,” Sungwoon says, before sliding the room door open and disappearing into the hall way.

 

Huh.

 

* * *

 

So, this has been Daniel’s weekly schedule lately.

 

8:00 AM – 5:00 PM – Suffer through classes as usual.

 

5:00 PM – 5:45 PM – Singing practice with Sungwoon, which sounds so formal when in fact, they are just squatting inside the class room or the empty benches in the football field or stairways cases depending on availability, and Daniel doing his best to sing after Sungwoon.

 

5:45 PM – 6:00 PM – Makes a death dash to the dance practice that starts at 6 but he never made it earlier than 6:15 because evening traffic is a joke and the subway does not reach to their dance studio.

 

6:15 PM – 8:00 PM – Stretching exercises and basic move practices and listening to Seongwoo’s judgment on why Daniel even cares about singing well for the Choir. He wants to reply that it is for the potential Jejudo trip but Daniel is not even sure about that himself.

 

8:00 PM onwards: Dinner, and family affairs and homework and suppressing the urge to stab himself with a pencil every time Calculus comes up in the homework stack.

 

It is kind of impressive how much time he actually has to think about Sungwoon throughout this much packed schedule.

 

Sungwoon is everywhere on his mind, much like Sungwoon’s handwritten notes scrawled all over Daniel’s crumpled lyrics sheet.

 

He said to Sungwoon when he was scribbling those notes down on Daniel’s sheet. “Your handwriting is kind of shit. Could it be that teachers keep giving you a high score on every test because they can’t read your handwriting?”

 

“Yes because that makes absolute sense.” Sungwoon muttered without looking up. His glasses had fallen onto his nose bridge and Daniel can see his eye lashes casting small shadows on his cheek from the way Sungwoon’s eyes are down casted and focused on the paper in front of him. He was pouting slightly, either because of Daniel’s non-sense or just because.

 

He looked … interesting.

 

Interesting because it is interesting how Daniel can feel this … warm just by looking at him.

 

* * *

 

The funny thing is Daniel can sing now.

 

Ok. That’s an exaggeration, but he can follow along the melody and sounds pretty nice in his range – that Sungwoon pointed out to him – when he tries. Even Seongwoo, after a couple rounds of scolding from Teach and a quick crash course from Daniel, is sounding nice. He also has a nicer tone than Daniel, which Daniel is absolutely not jealous of. No.

 

“Oh my god, you guys.” Teach says, one sunny afternoon in May. Daniel gulps down the water from his bottle as Teach claps his hands together almost reverently. The weather is killing him lately with the heat, and singing four times in a row in a class room that has the direct path of sun shining the shit out of itself doesn’t help.

 

“Didn’t I tell you that you guys can do it?” Teach laughs. “Look at me. I am totally tearing up right now.”

 

“Gross,” Someone laughs but Teach doesn’t seem to care. “Totally honest, I thought you guys would crash and burn.”

 

“Gee. Thanks.” Seongwoo mutters.

 

“But you guys made it and we even have a couple of days left before the choir festival. I am so proud of you.”

 

The guys around him make smug noises, some calling for a free period tomorrow as reward, but Daniel is focused on Sungwoon, standing two seats away from him, hands still clasped in the choir position, and just staring at Teach with a smile on his face.

 

Daniel does not think Sungwoon has ever smiled at him like that.

 

He wonders why it stings.

 

“Ok.” Teach says. “Let’s go one more round, yeah?”

 

“Noooo.” Seongwoo yells loudly from beside him. Sungwoon turns his head and their eyes meet. Daniel looks away.

 

He kind of wishes Sungwoon was still smiling when he was looking at Daniel.

 

* * *

 

“Here,” Daniel hands out the ice cold soda bottle he got from the vending machine into Sungwoon’s hand. “My treat.”

 

“Thanks,” Sungwoon says and twists the cap open.

 

They are at the school fountain today, late enough that no one is around to hog the spot. Daniel cancels dance practice today because Sungwoon says they should go through the whole song since tomorrow is the day of the choir festival.

 

He has never stayed this long alone with Sungwoon.

 

“Nah.” Daniel shakes his head, and sits down next to Sungwoon on the stairs that lead down to the fountain. “I owe you a lot. Thanks for sparing your time for, what, two months, man.”

 

Sungwoon just nods, sipping at his soda. Daniel opens his own bottle, swallowing the icy sharp beverage. The school yard is quiet, apart from the water running from the fountains and the occasional cricket sounds. They don’t even have that many trees around the school. Where are these crickets chipping from?

 

“How do you know Teach?” Daniel asks. It might have sounded out of the blue but he has been contemplating on how to ask that question for the past few hours. He finally decided the simple straightforward way is the best. “I mean, you called him hyung once. You guys sound close.”

 

Sungwoon stares at him, hand frozen in front of him.

 

“Why are you asking?”

 

“Do you …” Daniel says, finger scrapping at the cheap paper wrapper on the bottle. “… like him?”

 

“What?” Sungwoon gasps. The bottle in his hand drops, fizzy liquid spilling out of the opening as it bounces down the stairs.

 

“Shit,” Daniel says and gets up to grab at the rolling bottle.

 

“I’ll get it.” Sungwoon is saying next to him and Daniel barely saw a blur before a soft palm is resting on top of his gripped hand on the bottle and a warm presence crouched down next to him.

 

Sungwoon lets out a soft noise, looking down at his hand on top of Daniel’s.

 

Daniel stops for a moment, and grabs at Sungwoon’s neck with his other hand, lifting his face up towards Daniel before pressing his lips tight onto Sungwoon’s. His fingers are on Sungwoon’s jaw and neck and he can feel a tiny neck vein throbbing under his ring finger. Sungwoon is still, so still that Daniel might wonder if he is a ghost if not for the small breaths tickling on Daniel’s cheek. His glasses are digging into Daniel’s nose bridge and Daniel can feel the spilled liquid flowing under his crouched knees.

 

The bottle rolls out from under their hands since neither of them is thinking about actually holding it and makes its noisy way down the stairs until it reaches the bottom. The sound shakes Daniel out and suddenly he is aware of everything so clearly – like the wet patch on his knee or the running water sound or Sungwoon’s lips on his.

 

Sungwoon’s lips.

 

“Shit.” He immediately lets go of Sungwoon. “Shit. I am sorry.”

 

Daniel stands up, so fast that he almost trips over his own shoe laces and grabs at his bag lying in a pile on the floor. “I need to go.”

 

“Daniel,” Sungwoon calls after him, but Daniel does not look back, and run straight up through the football field and the school gate. He just runs.

 

This is bad, isn’t it?

 

Images and sounds keep swirling around his brain. Sungwoon’s voice hitting a high note. Sungwoon focusing on his homework while Daniel practices singing do-re-mi for the 15th time while his eyes stay on Sungwoon next to him. The feeling of lips on lips and hand on face.

 

Sungwoon smiling at Teach.

 

Fuck. This fucking sucks.

 

Love fucking sucks.

 

* * *

 

“We tried our best, guys. That’s what it matters.” Teach is saying. “3rd place isn’t that bad.”

 

“We can barely do anything with 75,000 won though.” Someone complains from among the crowd squeezed into the tiny waiting room the choir festival host school allocated to them.

 

Daniel loosens his tie and wipes at his sweaty forehead.

 

He barely even remembers how their performance went but at least, he didn’t fuck up.

 

Thanks to Sungwoon, he guesses.

 

Who was standing so prim and proper in the row in front of him during the performance, hands clasped tight and head held high like he cannot feel Daniel staring at him the whole time.

 

He probably doesn’t. It’s not like he has not been ignoring Daniel for the whole of bus ride here.

 

Yeah, just his luck for Daniel to go and fall for the guy who is probably in love with a dude 12 years older than them.

 

Fucking bullshit.

 

Daniel slammed the water bottle in his hand onto a nearby table pretty roughly. Seongwoo turns to him and raises a questing eyebrow. Daniel keeps his eyes on Sungwoon who is talking to Teach, hands behind his back like a model student. Teach says something and Sungwoon gives a small shy laugh, and you know what? Daniel does not have to stay here and watch that shit.

 

“Daniel?” Teach calls for him as Daniel pushes through his classmates and pulls the door open. “We should be leaving soon. Where are you going?!”

 

Daniel doesn’t answer and slams the door back shut. Yeah, he is behaving like an emotional teenager. But he _is_ an emotional teenager. With a broken heart to boost.

 

He doesn’t really know this campus well but he follows out the EXIT sign into a small garden/greenery area. The sun is pretty unforgiving but whatever, he’ll live.

 

“Daniel!” A familiar voice pants after him. “Why are your steps so big? Jesus, I had to run.”

 

“Go back in, Sungwoon.” Daniel grits without looking back.

 

“What is wrong with you?” Sungwoon pushes him from the back, packing a surprisingly amount of strength for someone his size. “You keep looking like you want to die. Do you regret it that much?”

 

“Regret what?”

 

“You know what!” Sungwoon replies indignantly. “You ran away last night and you won’t even talk to me today.”

 

“How am I gonna talk to you when you are glued to Teach’s side for all this fucking time?”

 

“What does Teach got to do with anything?” Sungwoon hisses. “Why do you keep bringing him up?”

 

Really now?

 

“Because,” Daniel runs his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Because I like you, and you obviously like that guy, and he is our teacher! I got that he is handsome and all that …”

 

“I don’t like him!” Sungwoon interrupts him. “Why would you even think that?”

 

“Have you seen your face when you are looking at him?” Daniel snorts. “You even practiced for two months straight when you can probably sing the whole choir song on the first day all because _you don’t want to let him down_.”

 

“I don’t like him. I …” Sungwoon stammers. “Fine. I used to have a small crush on him, but it is just that. Some useless childish crush since long back. It’s not like he’ll like me back or I even have a chance in hell.”

 

“Yeah,” Daniel laughs bitterly. Apparently, the confirmation from Sungwoon himself is the final stab that kills the man.

 

“But I was not practicing for two months because of him.” Sungwoon says firmly. “I don’t even need to do it, but I did it because …” He stops, breathing in harshly. “Because I wanted to spend time with you, you stupid idiot.”

 

“Don’t,” Daniel whispers. “Don’t say things if you don’t mean them.”

 

“Why would I lie?” Sungwoon splutters. “Have _you_ seen my face when I am looking at you? No. Because you always look away whenever I look over at you.. you … you dumb idi..”

 

Daniel shuts him up with a kiss, both hands on Sungwoon’s face.

 

Sungwoon stills for a second before pulling back. “Don’t do it here!”

 

“Then where?” Daniel asks but stops when he sees the building door to the exit opening up. “Wait. Someone’s coming. C’mon.”

 

“Where are you …” Sungwoon asks but Daniel pulls him into the small tool shed he spotted earlier off the main road. The little shed is full of dust and gardening tools stacked haphazardly but it has enough space for both of them to stand.

 

“We need to go back,” Sungwoon looks through the gap between the shed door panels and says. “I think that was Teach. He’s probably looking for us. The bus is leaving soon.”

 

“Can I kiss you again?” Daniel asks and Sungwoon turns his head back at him. “You were saying before that you like me. Right?”

 

He is pretty sure Sungwoon was but suddenly, he needs to hear the affirmation.

 

“I…” Sungwoon parts his lips. “I don’t know.”

 

“You were yelling!” Daniel splutters “In my face! Because I didn’t notice that you like me too.”

 

“Shut up,” Sungwoon hisses, his ears flushing red.

 

“Do you…” Daniel asks, leaning forward so he is eye to eye with Sungwoon. He runs his fingers along the rim of Sungwoon’s glasses, feeling the cool metal edge. “…think glasses get in the way of kissing?”

 

“I…” Sungwoon starts but Daniel is already pushing his glasses onto the top of his head, thumbs rubbing at the slight indents on Sungwoon’s nose bridge that the spectacle support flaps had left behind. Sungwoon stares up at him, eyes wide and lips apart and really, who is Daniel to resist that?

 

Sungwoon does not pull away this time, not until a good long minute anyway. And when he did pull back, his hands were gripping at Daniel’s loosen tie and his eyes are half closed.

 

“We really should go back.” Sungwoon whispers softly.

 

Model student even in this situation.

 

“Ok,” Daniel nods. He heard Teach pacing and muttering outside earlier anyway. He’s gonna get .. they are gonna get an earful if they turn up any later than now.

 

“Just,” he says, patting down to tame Sungwoon’s messed up hair once he put the glasses back on to his face. “Sit with me? On the bus?”

 

Sungwoon adjusts his glasses quietly and nods. “Ok.”

 

“You go in first.” Daniel says and re-adjusts his tie. “I’ll follow after a while. I’ll just tell Teach I have a bad stomach or something.”

 

“Fine,” Sungwoon nods and steps out first but not before looking back at Daniel with a small smile.

 

The sun seems to be shining brighter than ever but the heat doesn’t seem as annoying now.

 

* * *

 

They ended up going to Gamcheon again for their school field trip, but Sungwoon is next to Daniel the entire trip, and it doesn’t feel as tedious as before.


	2. The First Autumn

There is someone Daniel likes. Someone who wears the same uniform and the same shoes as him. Someone who sits two seats away from him in the same class. Someone who makes Daniel happy just by smiling at him.

 

And they are going out. He thinks. Daniel is not really experienced in this area. Dating a guy. Dating a girl, he gets. Actually, that is not accurate as well because he had only gone out with an older girl once when they were both in middle school and it was mostly just holding hands and walking her home. They didn’t even kiss like he and Sungwoon do. Which probably was because they were 12 and 13 but still, the point is, at least, with a girl, there is enough material and references out there to learn _what_ to do.

 

But with a guy it is different. Daniel didn’t really think about it much when he turned 17 and realized that his heart thumps at a cute guy as much as it does at a cute girl. He just took it in stride. He never really thought he’d be dating a guy before he turns older anyway. Not until Sungwoon.

 

And they are dating. Again, he thinks. Daniel just mostly walks Sungwoon to his after school study clubs and stares at him in class until the teacher in command catches him not paying attention. They had shared a couple of meals together, but mostly at convenience stores and Daniel doesn’t think that is very romantic. But then again, he doesn’t know how to make it romantic. It is not like Sungwoon looks bothered about it anyway.

 

“What’s up with you and that guy?” Seongwoo asks one day. They left the gym period early because doing 50 push ups is easy when you spend doing much more than that in dance club warm up exercises. The both of them usually finish up gym classes early. Daniel used to get out of school early with Seongwoo on those gym days but now, he has to wait until Sungwoon finishes up as well. “Sungwoon.”

 

“What’s up with what?” Daniel asks, changing back into his uniform from his sweaty gym clothes.

 

“You always go off with him after school these days,” Seongwoo shrugs. “And you are always looking at him in class. Are you guys … dating?”

 

“You got a problem with that?” Daniel asks, trying to be calm but the fingers that are folding his sweatpants are stiff.

 

“Don’t be an idiot. How long have you known me?” Seongwoo tsks. “Why would I have a problem with that?”

 

Daniel pats off some dust from his sweatpants and smiles. “I know. Thanks.”

 

“Yeah, but Sungwoon though. I mean, he is kind of in a different league from us, no?”

 

“League?” Daniel asks distractedly. He really needs a new pair of sweatpants. His current ones look like they are about to rip right at the seam.

 

“League. Kind. Genre. Whatever.” Seongwoo says. “You know what I mean.”

 

“Erm, no?” Daniel raises an eyebrow. “Unless we are still in Joseon era and you are talking about scholars and commoners. What league?”

 

“I just mean he is not like us, dude, you know. He’s kind of … nerdy. Don’t give me that look. You know what I mean.”

 

Daniel guesses he does. Sungwoon is the poster boy of academics and exemplary student. He’ll probably get into Busan National University with no problem. Daniel is just this loud rowdy big kid who is more interested in dancing and having fun. He doesn’t even have a college plan yet. He is not even sure if he wants to go to college.

 

“Yeah, he is a little weird, so what?” Daniel says dismissively. He doesn’t want to think about future now. The present with him and Sungwoon has barely even started.

 

“Weird is a way to put it, I guess.” Seongwoo snorts but does not push further.

 

* * *

 

“My grandfather is picking me up today.” Sungwoon says when Daniel catches up to him in the hallway. “He’s gonna drop me off.”

 

“Aww man,” Daniel whines. “I’d have left earlier if I’d known.”

 

“I didn’t ask you to wait for me.” Sungwoon says, fingers pushing his glasses back up his nose.

 

“Yeah but you know I want to.” Daniel says distractedly, looking at Sungwoon’s glasses. “Do you want to go to a spec shop and get them tighten? Your glasses, I mean. We can go to the mall this weekend. Kind of like a da..”

 

“No, my grandfather can do it. I just keep forgetting to ask.”

 

“He can do everything huh? Is he superman or something?” Daniel says but shuts up when Sungwoon glares up at him. He didn’t even say _anything_ to make Sungwoon annoyed! “Sorry Geez. Stop glaring at me.”

 

“I am not,” Sungwoon grits out. “Just go. He’ll ask questions if he sees you with me.”

 

“You must not have any friend that he sees you around with, huh?” Daniel smarts off again until Sungwoon’s glare return full force. “Sorry. Sorry. Have fun. If you can have fun in a night study club anyway. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

They are still in the hallway with a few scattered students so Daniel just gives him an awkward bro hug-thump thing and jogs out of the school. He might have time to drop by at the Manhwa store before dance practice if he hurries.

 

Sungwoon’s grandfather, huh? Sungwoon never really talks about his family much, and Daniel didn’t think it was his place to ask. Maybe it is just their grandpa-grandson bonding time. Daniel is not really closed with his grandparents so he doesn’t know what it is like but it must be nice.

 

Except when Daniel looks out of the window of the bus that he is on – the bus that is moving at 10 km per hour because of this goddamn traffic in this goddamn town – Daniel saw Sungwoon, walking alone on the street, hands grasped at the straps of his backpack. Maybe his grandfather is parked somewhere else but this is the main road and only people who don’t mind getting their car rammed into from behind would have parked it out here at this hour. Or his grandfather just could not make it. If that was the case, Sungwoon could have just called Daniel. Maybe Sungwoon just thought Daniel was already on his way instead of being stuck 10 minutes away from school in this stupid bus.

 

Yes, that must be it. Couldn’t be anything else, right?

 

* * *

 

“Your grandfather picking you up today as well?” Daniel stands up from the rail he was leaning on once he sees Sungwoon coming out of the hallway. “He couldn’t make it yesterday?”

 

“How ..” Sungwoon starts, but stops and grabs at Daniel when Daniel starts walking down the front stairs. “It’s raining.”

 

“It’ll pass.” Daniel says and opens his palm under the small droplets of the rains. “I saw you walking from the bus yesterday.”

 

“Oh,” Sungwoon just says. “I think it is going to rain heavily.”

 

“Yeah?” Daniel says, looking up at the dark sky. “Maybe. You got an umbrella?”

 

* * *

 

“Pull it towards you a little,” Sungwoon says, pushing at Daniel’s hand holding the umbrella over the both of them. “Your other side is getting wet.”

 

“Eh, it’s fine.” Daniel says, looking down at his wet shoulder. “I am gonna have to run in this rain after I drop you off anyway.”

 

“Take my umbrella.” Sungwoon says.

 

“Nah, I’ll probably lose it. I am bad with umbrellas.” Daniel smiles. “Plus, this rain might go on all night. You’d need it after class.”

 

Sungwoon wordlessly stares up at him before raising his hand and puts Daniel’s jacket’s hood onto his head. “At least don’t get your hair wet. People say you’d get lice if rain gets onto your hair.”

 

Daniel slows his steps (and also lowers his head a little so Sungwoon can reach it easier), letting Sungwoon pull the hood completely over his hair until he eventually stops.

 

“Can I kiss you?” He asks. Sungwoon’s hands on his hoodie strings still.

 

“No.”

 

“Why not?” Daniel asks again. “There is no one here.”

 

“I..” Sungwoon starts but Daniel is already backing him up into a nearby wall which is kind of difficult because he still has the umbrella over Sungwoon’s head.

 

“Just one kiss?” Daniel leans in.

 

“I said no!” Sungwoon pushes him away until Daniel stumbles a little. The umbrella gets thrown out of the way and raindrops keep falling onto Sungwoon.

 

“Ahh, why?” Daniel whines. “Why can’t I? We are dating, are we not?”

 

“We are not dating.” Sungwoon says stubbornly. Daniel closes the umbrella since it is useless now anyway. They are both wet.

 

“Then why do we keep making out?” Daniel grunts, looping his arms around Sungwoon from the back. “Do you always kiss people you are not going out with, Ha Sungwoon-shi?”

 

Sungwoon gets out of his hug and says without looking back. “Then, let’s not do that either. Kissing. Or walking together. Or holding hands.”

 

“What?” Daniel asks, stunned. What in the world? “Suddenly, why?”

 

“You said…” Sungwoon starts, but shakes himself. “Never mind. I am in a different league than you, am I not?” He says, and leaves, right in the rain.

 

_What the fuck._

 

Daniel stares right after him, too stunned to do anything, hands still holding Sungwoon’s abandoned umbrella. For some reason, he feels like the umbrella is not the only thing that was abandoned right now.

 

The autumn rain feels crueler than usual.

 

* * *

 

So, it is pretty obvious that Sungwoon overheard him and Seongwoo talking in class that day. Right?

 

What Daniel does not get, however, is why Sungwoon is so mad for? Yeah, they are different people, so what? Maybe he was finally reminded that Sungwoon is someone who is too good for Daniel? Or maybe Sungwoon actually is not that smart and thinks Daniel is too good for Sungwoon or something. And it is not like Daniel can just ask Sungwoon because he has been giving Daniel the cold shoulder for weeks now, and no matter how much Daniel likes him, Daniel is not the type to grovel at a person for something he didn’t even do wrong. He has his pride too. It may be useless but it is still his.

 

“If you…” Daniel felt the thump of a book on his head. “…space out when I talking again, I am gonna send you to detention.”

 

“Ah, seriously.” Daniel whines at Teach. “Why do we even have to do this now? We are not even in the senior year yet.”

 

“And you’ll be too busy studying in your senior year to work on your college plan. Plus, knowing which university you want to get into will make it easier with your senior year’s study plans.” Teach says, pen tapping on the empty plan sheet on his desk. “How do you not have even one university in mind?”

 

“I don’t know.” Daniel mumbles. “I just want to dance.”

 

“So? Go to an Arts college.” Teach replies, like it is the easiest thing in the world.

 

“I just waltz into there?” Daniel snorts. “You know they only take students from Arts High School. Otherwise, you have to have super high marks and with like 10 million awards. Plus, our dance crew head hyung doesn’t even go to college and he’s doing fine.”

 

“Just…” Teach rubs his forehead and sighs. “Just write down some Arts School and dancing majors. You can figure out the details later.”

 

Daniel tsks but takes the college plan sheet and starts writing down anyway.

 

_Coarse…the rush-mat .. roof_

 

Goddamn it. That stanza of a poem has been stuck in his mind all day, and Daniel is not even a poem person.

 

“Coarse, the rush-mat roof.” Daniel hums. “How did it go again?”

 

“Huh, go what?” Teach asks.

 

“Something from the Japanese class.” Daniel shrugs, tapping his pencil and leaving small black dots on the section on _What is your future dream career?_ “A poem, I think. I can’t recall the rest.”

 

“I don’t speak Japanese.” Teach says. “Stop playing around. You are gonna poke a hole through the paper.”

 

Daniel huffs and just writes down “ _dancer”_.

 

“You and Sungwoon…” Teach starts. “You two seem to be getting along well lately. Are you …”

 

Daniel stops writing and looks up at him. “What is it to you?”

 

“I am just asking, kid.” Teach raises an eyebrow. “I’ve know him for a long time and he never really seems to have, you know, someone as close to him as you do lately.”

 

“Well, that’s none of your business now, is it?” Daniel grunts and pushes the paper back. “Can I go now?”

 

Teach stares at him for a few seconds before nodding. “Sure, go ahead. And ask Sungwoon to come for his counseling section after school.”

 

_Coarse the rush-mat roof … Sheltering the harvest hut_

 

“Sungwoon,” Daniel says to a passing Sungwoon, who doesn’t even grace a look at him and just passes by him into the class. And really, there really is no need for Sungwoon to be this much of an asshole.

 

“Ya!” Daniel yells after Sungwoon’s back. “Don’t you think you are being too selfish?”

 

The murmuring in the class stops and Sungwoon looks back.

 

“Dude, are you gonna fight?” Someone murmurs. Seongwoo looks over at Daniel and gives a questioning nod.

 

“I..” Daniel stutters. “Teach wants you to come for guidance counseling. After school.” He ends up saying instead of the thousands of things he wants to say in his head.

 

Sungwoon stares at him in silence before nodding. “Got it.”

 

That sucks.

 

Why do things even turn out like this?

 

* * *

 

“When will it stop raining, urgh.” Seongwoo groans next to him. They don’t have dance class today but they are stuck nonetheless because neither of them is the type to carry an umbrella around and the autumn rain is unrelenting today. “Shall we just run?”

 

Sungwoon’s umbrella is still in Daniel’s room, neatly folded on his desk. Daniel, for some reason, does not feel like carrying it around even though he probably should give it back to Sungwoon.

 

Sungwoon will just ignore him, like he always is doing these days, even if Daniel tries to, right?

 

Bastard.

 

Why is he the one being angry anyway? What did Daniel even do?

 

But earlier, in class, after Daniel calls him out, Sungwoon didn’t look angry. He just sat at his desk and stared ahead and rather than looking angry, he just … he just looked like he was about to cry.

 

Daniel can’t do this.

 

“I’m going back to school.” He says, and steps out into the rain.

 

“Why?” Seongwoo calls after him. “Did you forget something?!”

 

No, but he left something. Something important.

 

* * *

 

“I need to talk to you.” Daniel says, panting and pulling Teach’s office door opened. Both Sungwoon and Teach look up, Sungwoon’s hands stilled on the pen he has gripped in his hand.

 

“Hello to you too, Daniel.” Teach raises an eyebrow. “What do you …”

 

“Sungwoon,” Daniel pants. “I need to talk to Sungwoon.”

 

“Then wait outside like a normal person.” Teach says. “We’re about to be done anyway.”

 

Daniel glares at him and Sungwoon who is not looking at him.

 

“Fine.” He grunts and closes the door. Urgh. Too much for his dramatic and impressive entrance.

 

“Coarse the rush-mat roof, sheltering the harvest hut of the …” Daniel hums, hands shoved into both his pockets. “.. of the autumn rice fields… and … and…”

 

“And my sleeves are dripping wet. From the moisture dripping through.” Sungwoon says softly, leaning against the open door. “You don’t seem like you are into _tanka_.”

 

“Ahhhh…” Daniel lets out a satisfied sigh. “Yeah, that’s the last part. It was driving me mad. I just couldn’t remember.”

 

“The last part is the famous part of that poem, you weirdo.” Sungwoon mumbles.

 

“C’mon.” Daniel grabs at his hand. “Talk to me for a minute.”

 

“What do you …” Sungwoon says but Daniel just drags him out into the football field. “We can just talk inside!”

 

“Do you …” Daniel turns around and faces him. He wanted to ask questions – ask why Sungwoon is being such a dick, what Daniel has done wrong, what he has to do to make it right, but everything seems to disappear when he is standing in front of Sungwoon.

 

“Go out with me.” Daniel says instead. Sungwoon’s mouth drops a little. “Please.”

 

“I…” Sungwoon starts.

 

“Do you..” Daniel interrupts him. “Do you think I am … lacking something? I mean, do you think I am not good enough? Whatever it is, I’ll try to make it up. I mean, unless it is in grades because dude, my brain doesn’t function like yours but anything else …”

 

“Why would I think you are not good enough?” Sungwoon asks. “Are you crazy?”

 

“What else then?” Daniel replies. “You heard Seongwoo talking to me about us being different, right? I mean, yeah, we are not exactly …”

 

“You said I was weird.” Sungwoon cuts him off.

 

“That’s …” Daniel mutters. “.. it? That’s it? You were ignoring me for weeks because I said you were weird? Dude! You are weird. You genuinely enjoy studying. You have a good ass voice but you don’t like to sing in front of people. You even like drinking celery juice. Nobody actually likes celery juice!”

 

“Exactly. I am that weird loner kid who just studies because he doesn’t know what else to do with his time. You are popular and is friends with the whole school and you can dance and girls like you. I saw that girl asking for your number that night you guys busked in Seomyeon. We are too different. We don’t exactly match.”

 

“And why do we need to match? Are we playing fucking candy crush? We are different people so what? I like you not because you are different or not because you are the same as me. I like you because you are you. Isn’t that good enough?”

 

“I am scared.” Sungwoon looks up at him. He seems like he is seconds away from dropping tears. “I don’t want to be left behind.”

 

“And I am not leaving you anywhere.” Daniel grips him by the shoulders. “Dude, why are you so frustrating? No, don’t cry. Fuck. I didn’t mean it like that. I just …” Daniel sighs and pulls Sungwoon into his chest. “I don’t know what you are thinking, man. I am not good at this. Relationship thing, I mean. I can only guess and if you don’t talk to me then I don’t know what is wrong and I just don’t know what to do.”

 

“I don’t like when you give your numbers to girls.” Sungwoon mumbles into his chest. “That night. The red head.”

 

“Huh.” Daniel mutters. “Was that why you never came to my buskings any more? Dude, I didn’t give her my number. I gave her our dance crew head hyung’s number because she said she wants to learn b-boying.”

 

“She wants your number, you idiot.” Sungwoon murmurs.

 

“Who cares? I was too busy looking for you that night.” Daniel shrugs and holds Sungwoon tighter. “See. It would have been easier if you just said _hey Daniel, don’t give your number to strange girls_ or _hey Daniel, don’t call me weird, I don’t like it_ and then, I would have said ok and none of us would be here.”

 

“I am sorry.” Sungwoon nods, and grips at Daniel’s waist. “I am not good at this, either. Relationships. In case you couldn’t tell, this is my first time.”

 

“You just need to tell me what is going on.” Daniel says and pulls him away to look at him in the eyes. “Do you want to go out with me? Do you like me?”

 

“Do you still need to ask that?” Sungwoon looks back at him.

 

“Yeah so that the next time you are pissed at me, you can’t go around yelling we are not going out.”

 

Sungwoon glares at him. “Do you want me to sign it in writing somewhere?”

 

Daniel laughs. “Marriage is a little too early, don’t you think? Just tell me. It’s enough.”

 

“Yes, I like you.” Sungwoon sighs.

 

“And?”

 

“And we are going out.” Sungwoon grunts out.

 

“See. Was that so difficult?” Daniel laughs and leans down to kiss him. Sungwoon kisses him back easily.

 

“No,” Sungwoon whispers back. “Not at all.”

 

Oh. Daniel didn’t even realize that the cold autumn rain has stopped.


	3. The Second Summer

Winter passes by quickly – harsh and cold and swift. Daniel still walks Sungwoon to his night study clubs, goes to dance practices, avoids his mum so he doesn’t have to talk about college, scraps by sophomore year and before he knows it, the break is over and they are seniors.

 

His mum wants him to go to Busan Arts College. Daniel is lucky enough that he doesn’t have a pushy mum who is greedy for grades and honors and reputation and all that. She is fine with Daniel wanting to just dance, but under the condition that he goes to at least a college. But it also means that he has to drop going to dance practices every day because he actually needs to study to bring his grades up a little. Fortunately, he doesn’t need to be pulling a 100 in every subject but he still needs to bring them up. At least, his mum is not insisting on sending him to summer school. His brain is actually going to melt if he has to study too in summer.

 

“What are you doing over the break?” Daniel asks Sungwoon one day. They are the only two in the class since it is after school and Sungwoon’s night class does not start until 7. Usually, they’d go somewhere to eat or just hang out but today is exceptionally hot and none of them feel like walking out until the sun has set. Daniel got the small standing electric fan from the teacher’s room and has it whirling for the past 20 minutes – its blades spinning noisily in the background and making the class room’s curtains flutter by erratically.

 

“Study. I need to take some prep school exams in June.” Sungwoon answers, eyes focused on the textbook opened in front of him.

 

“They are just mock exams, no?” Daniel says and lays his head down next to Sungwoon’s open text book.

 

“They are the same format as the actual matriculation exams.” Sungwoon says, looking at Daniel exasperatedly. “If I do well on them, that means I am halfway done.”

 

Daniel sighs and blows out a stream of air causing the textbook pages to flicker up and down.

 

“And I am visiting some of my relatives in Ilsan.” Sungwoon adds. “My great aunt’s birthday is coming up.”

 

“Right.” Daniel nods. “You went last year’s break too.”

 

Sungwoon nods. “Daniel, what are you planning …”

 

“Are you going to miss me?” Daniel asks distractedly. “You are, right? We won’t see each other regularly and then you are even going out of town.”

 

Sungwoon stops and sighs. “Well, that’s a given, isn’t it?”

 

Daniel lifts his head up and smiles.

 

“Me too. I’m gonna miss you too.” He says and leans in to kiss Sungwoon, their feet entwined under the chair. Lately, he has been giving Sungwoon better, no, sexier kisses. More tongue and heat and hands over naked skin under shirts. They had been going out for what, almost a year, now. It is a given, isn’t it? For things to progress naturally. But then again, Daniel doesn’t know how to approach that territory and he would bet anything that Sungwoon would not start from his side either. Plus, they are both high school kids with no place of their own. It is lucky enough if they can find a place and time to even innocently make out these days.

 

“We are in class,” Sungwoon whispers after a while, pulling away.

 

Daniel sighs. “There’s no one around.”

 

“Still,” Sungwoon insists, but takes Daniel’s hand in his own, so Daniel doesn’t exactly mind.

 

Sungwoon is quiet again, rubbing gentle circles over Daniel’s knuckles.

 

“I can’t wait to graduate.” Daniel says. “Be an adult.”

 

“Aren’t you scared?” Sungwoon asks after a while. “Of growing up. Going out into the world?”

 

“I think it’ll be fun.” Daniel shrugs. “Plus, we don’t really have to go out into the world anyway yet, right? Not until like 3 or 4 years later anyway.”

 

Sungwoon stares at him for a little while and then smiles, intertwining their fingers. “That is the most _you_ thing to say.”

 

“That better be a compliment.” Daniel says and looks out of the window. The sun is gradually setting. If they hurry, they can probably go and eat gimbap. He has been craving these days.

 

“Niel, actually I…” Sungwoon is murmuring in the background. “I am going …”

 

“Do you want gimbap? I’ve been dying to eat the one over on 34th street. It’s a little out of the way, but we can make it if we take the subway?”

 

Sungwoon stiffens up before sighing and closing his books. “Ok, let’s go.”

 

“Yes!” Daniel does an air fist bump. “You were saying something before?”

 

“I…” Sungwoon starts but shakes his head. “Never mind. I’ll tell you later. Let’s go.”

 

“Ok,” Daniel raises an eyebrow, but Sungwoon smiles up at him and holds out his hand, so Daniel just takes it and pulls Sungwoon into his side.

 

* * *

 

“Dude, are you ok?” Daniel asks. Sungwoon has been burrowed into his side for a good five minutes now. And not that Daniel minds having Sungwoon chest to chest, but it is unusual for Sungwoon, especially in such a crowded place.

 

“I’m ok.” Sungwoon replies, sounding otherwise. “Just … I am not really good with trains.”

 

Huh.

 

Come to think of it, Sungwoon is always walking or taking bus to his after school classes or whenever they go out. Daniel thinks this is probably the first time he has ever seen Sungwoon uses the subway.

 

“We can get off at the next stop?” Daniel wraps his arms around Sungwoon and says. “I’ll get us a cab if we are late.”

 

“No, no.” Sungwoon grips at Daniel’s uniform coat lapel. “It’s fine. I want to get used to the subway.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yeah,” Sungwoon nods. “Just … stay here.”

 

“Not going anywhere,” Daniel says and rubs gently over Sungwoon’s back. There is a middle aged aunty glaring at them from the passenger seat. Daniel glares back. “How come you never told me that you are scared of trains?”

 

“I am not scared.” Sungwoon grits out indignantly. “Just uncomfortable. And it’s not something to be proud of to go around saying.”

 

“Well, lucky we live in Busan then.” Daniel laughs. “Buses are way more convenient here.”

 

“Yeah,” Sungwoon replies but he sounds unconvinced. He really must be scared of trains. “Yeah, I guess.”

 

* * *

 

“Ahhh… Teach,” Daniel whines, trying his best not to stomp over his feet. “I don’t want to go to prep school over the summer break.”

 

Teach sighs. “I am not saying you need to, but it’ll help you a lot if you do.”

 

“Exactly. I don’t need to, right? I mean, my grades are fine enough.”

 

“They are ok. I’ll admit that.” Teach says. “But you’ll have a more guaranteed chance if you can bring them up just a little bit more.”

 

“Not by studying my brains out over summer!” Daniel protests. “Plus, BAC needs a self-choreographed audition video for entrance as well and I was planning on working on it over the summer. It is as important as my grades. Please, my mum would listen to you if you say I don’t need to go to summer school.”

  
Teach sighs and rubs his hands over his face. “Fine. Fine. Don’t go.”

 

 _YES_.

 

“But…” Teach points at him and says in a stern voice. “If your grades start slipping when the break is over, I am asking your mum to send you to a cram school and those are even worse.”

 

“Urgh, you are a dictator.” Daniel grunts.

 

“Yes, yes,” Teach laughs and pushes Daniel’s report card over to him. “I am such a bad person for wanting you to get into your choice of college.”

 

Daniel gives him a toothy smile and shoves his report card into his bag.

 

“So, apart from the grades, all good with you?” Teach asks.

 

“Huh?” Daniel mumbles. “Yeah, I haven’t self destructed yet if that’s what you are worried about.”

 

“Good to know.” Teach laughs. “What about Sungwoon?”

 

“What about him?” Daniel glares at him.

 

“Ok, you gotta stop looking at me like you want to murder me every time I talk about Sungwoon.” Teach says. “What is it with you?”

 

“Nothing,” Daniel mumbles. “He’s fine. Studying harder than ever, if that’s even possible. Says he have some prep school exams. Which, frankly, I think are bullshit. He’s sitting three 6-hours exams in one week. Does that even make sense?”

 

“Yeah well,” Teach replies blithely. “SNU is not an easy university to get in although I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t.”

 

“SNU, huh? Yeah, it is difficult…” Daniel says before it hits him. SNU, as in Seoul National University. “Seoul? As in the university in Seoul?”

 

“That’s what the name implies, yeah.” Teach laughs and looks at him like he is dumb.

 

Seoul.

 

“You didn’t … know?” Teach says, but Daniels just zips up his backpack roughly. “I need to go.”

 

“Daniel!” Teach calls after him, but Daniel is too occupied to listen to him.

 

Fucking. Seoul.

 

* * *

 

It makes sense, Daniel guess. Someone of Sungwoon’s level – it’d be a shame if they don’t go to the most prestigious university in the country, right?

 

Huh. Guess Seongwoo was right after all. Sungwoon _is_ in a different league than Daniel.

 

It just never occurred to Daniel that Sungwoon could be moving out of town after graduating, but then again he never asks, and neither does Sungwoon. Does Sungwoon even know Daniel is planning on going to college?

 

“Niel? What are you doing here?”

 

Daniel looks up to see Sungwoon standing in front of him. Huh. It must be already 11 then. Since Sungwoon’s night school has already let out.

 

“Yo.” Daniel lifts up a hand. “You got a minute?”

 

* * *

 

“They are making it in lemon flavor now.” Sungwoon says, handing a soda bottle to Daniel. It is the same soda brand they were drinking a year ago, the day when Daniel first kissed Sungwoon.

 

“Hmm.” Daniel just nods.

 

Sungwoon sits down next to him on the bench in an empty park. “What’s wrong?”

 

“You are going to SNU?” Daniel says. Sungwoon’s hands that are opening the soda bottle still.

 

Sungwoon finally speaks after a good beat or two. “How’d you know?”

 

“So, it’s true, huh?” Daniel snorts and swings his unopened bottle in his hand. “Seoul,” _swing to the right_. “National,” _left_. “University.” _Right_.

 

“Daniel…”

 

“When did you decide on that?” Daniel asks.

 

“It is not something I just decided on, Niel.” Sungwoon replies, voice firm. “It’s a school I wanted to get into since I was in middle school.”

 

“Right, kind of forgot you were always a nerd.” Daniel snorts. Sungwoon clicks his tongue. “What about us then? Do you even know where I’m going to school?”

 

“BAC.” Sungwoon says quietly. “I heard it from Seongwoo.”

 

Daniel raises an eyebrow. “You two talking about my academia now?”

 

“Don’t be a smart ass,” Sungwoon snaps. “I only heard about it a couple of days back. He wanted to borrow some study materials.”

 

“So, you know.” Daniel says. “You know I am staying in Busan, but you? You are moving to fucking Seoul?”

 

“Do you expect me to …” Sungwoon blinks quickly as if he is chasing away tears. “… what? Just drop my dreams and what I’ve been working for years?”

 

“No, fuck you.” Daniel bites back. “Don’t make me the bad guy in this. I don’t care if you are moving to Seoul. Fuck, I don’t care if you are going to Harvard for that matter. What I care is why you haven’t told me and I had to heard it from Teach of all people. This is something people talk to the person they are dating, no? Didn’t you think about things that would happen to us? The distance and the times, and all that.”

 

“I was going to.” Sungwoon mumbles. “I was, but timing just wasn’t right, and I…”

 

“And when will the timing be right?” Daniel snorts. “It’s already May. We are taking our exam in November. Do you think you’d ever find a right timing in those six months? If I hadn’t heard from Teach, I’d have never known and it’d just end like that?”

 

“No, it is not like that. I would have told you, eventually.”

 

“No, you just don’t want to fight because you’ve already made up your mind. Or maybe you are just hoping we’ll gradually fade out so you won’t have to have this conversation.” Daniel laughs bitterly. “Maybe when next year comes around and you are admitted into SNU, we won’t be a thing any longer so you can just fuck off to Seoul and not worry about a thing."

 

“You are such an asshole.” Sungwoon stands up, fists tight on his side. The soda bottle he was holding has dropped to the ground now, the bubbly liquid flowing out of the bottle into the dirty ground. Daniel remembers a similar scene a year ago, except they were beginning back then, and now? They are not exactly ending but it feels like they are. “What about you then? You didn’t tell me anything either. I found out from Seongwoo. I didn’t know anything about you. You never tell me about what your plans are for future. Or what is going to happen to us after high school. And you didn’t ask me either. Do you even know what I want to major in? What field I want to go in?!”

 

“No,” Daniel mutters. “No, I guess you are right. I guess we really don’t know anything about each other.”

 

Sungwoon sniffles.

 

“Let’s just,” Daniel stands up. “Let’s just not meet each other for the time being.”

 

“Niel…” Sungwoon says.

 

“Maybe we … never talk about the future because we never really thought we’d have one.”

 

“You said you’d never leave me behind.” Sungwoon says.

 

“I am not. It’s just a break.” Daniel replies, but it doesn’t feel like it is. “Plus, who’s leaving who behind when you move to Seoul?”

 

Sungwoon doesn’t answer.

 

“Have a good summer break Sungwoon.”


	4. The Second Summer (Break)

“I want ice cream,” Daniel yells, rolling around on Seongwoo’s bed. The curtains are drawn tight but he can somehow still feel the heat through the window.

 

“Go buy it yourself and buy one for me as well.” Seongwoo replies without looking away from the computer screen where he is playing Overwatch.

 

“Ahhhh,” Daniel groans. “Have you seen the sun? My skin would come off if I go out now. But I am so bored.”

 

“Don’t you have a choreographed video to film?” Seongwoo asks. “Or a boyfriend to bother.”

 

“I don’t care.” Daniel whines. “Summer fucking sucks.”

 

“Ah shit. I died.” Seongwoo groans and stretches. “Wanna go to a bath house tomorrow morning?”

 

* * *

 

“Ah. The _budae jjigae_ in bath houses are always the best kind.” Daniel moans, slurping on the noodles loudly.

 

“My nerves are totally relaxed right now...” Seongwoo stretches next to him. “Let’s go nap in the charcoal room.”

 

“No, I want to read some manhwa.” Daniel says.

 

“Cool,” Seongwoo just shrugs. “…So, you fought with Sungwoon?”

 

Daniel bites down on a sausage. “No. Just taking a break.”

 

“Yeah because that’s what normal couples do. Take a break.” Seongwoo snorts.

 

“Whatever.” Daniel mumbles.

 

“It’s still weird to call you two that, you know? A couple.”

 

“You said you are fine with it.” Daniel turns and looks at him.

 

“I am fine with it.” Seongwoo shrugs. “I mean, I am kind of glad, you know.”

 

“About what?”

 

“You, I guess. I mean, you never really showed any interest in girls so I thought you were just the kind of bastard who can’t fall in love or something.”

 

“I still like girls. I mean, I don’t like any girl, but you know, I am not just limited to guys.”

 

“Huh.” Seongwoo gives a thoughtful nod. “Just Sungwoon then.”

 

Just Sungwoon.

 

“He’s kind of your first love, isn’t it? Finding your first love in high school. That’s kind of romantic.” Seongwoo says but Daniel is stuck on his first few words.

 

First love. _First love._

_First love._

 

_Love._

 

* * *

 

Seongwoo is snoring softly next to him, and Daniel has been reading the first page of the manhwa in his hand for the past 10 minutes but he can’t remember anything.

 

Sungwoon should have been back from Ilsan by now. He’d probably be preparing his mock exams. Wait. Or are his mock exams this week? Shit. Daniel thinks they are.

 

He’d be fine. If there is one thing Ha Sungwoon does the best at, it is the exams.

 

Daniel wonders if he misses Daniel as much as Daniel does. And if it hurts as much as it is for Daniel.

 

Maybe… maybe Daniel should call first. He is still angry that Sungwoon never told him about SNU but is it enough for him to let go of Sungwoon? Maybe not for Daniel, but if Sungwoon doesn’t really see any future for them, then it is just a moot point, is it not?

 

He takes out his phone from his pocket, staring at it and thinking _maybe just one line of text? A ‘hey, how was Ilsan?’ kind of thing. Casual, you know. Like nothing ever happened._

The phone rings and Daniel almost drops it.

 

He almost drops it again when he sees the caller ID.

 

Maybe the force of the mind is real and that is why Sungwoon is calling him right this second.

 

“Hey,” Daniel answers the call as casually as he can while tiptoeing out of the room since other bath house guests are starting to throw dirty glances at him. “Where are you?”

 

“I…” The background noise is deafening and Sungwoon sounds … weak and echo-y.

 

“Are you in a train?” Daniel asks in a rush. “Dude, what the hell? Are you taking a train by yourself?”

 

“I am …” Sungwoon pants on the line. “… going to the prep school. Exam at 11.”

 

“Fuck. Where are you?”

 

“I am getting off at the next stop. Gunam, I think.”

 

That is not too far away from the bath house. “Stay there, alright? I’ll be there in 10.”

 

“You don’t have to…”

 

“Wait for me for a while, ok?” Daniel says in a rush and runs down to the locker room. He and Seongwoo were sharing a locker so he takes Sungwoon’s motorbike’s keys, sending Seongwoo an apologetic text. That guy will probably nap for the next three hours anyway.

 

The traffic tends to be clear on summer mornings so Daniel speeds up the bike and reaches Gunam station in record time. He doesn’t have to look for Sungwoon for long – Sungwoon is right there at the station entrance, squatted down with his bag in his lap and head between his hands.

 

“Jesus Christ, dude.” Daniel says and runs over. “I was so worried. Why would you take a train by yourself, you stupid idiot.”

 

“I wanted to try.” Sungwoon says in a small but firm voice, stubborn even in this condition. “I need to take trains in Seoul anyway.”

 

Serve him right, didn’t it?

 

“Why are you here?” Sungwoon lifts his pale face and asks.

 

“Why did you call?” Daniel kneels down next to him.

 

“I…” Sungwoon fiddles with his watch. “I was getting kind of … suffocated. The train. There were so many people in the car, and I couldn’t … I couldn’t think of anyone but you.”

 

“I am glad.” Daniel says and extends his hand. “C’mon. It’s already 15 minutes to 11. We might make it to your exam if we hurry.”

 

“Shit.” Sungwoon mumbles. “My exam. Yes. I need to get a cab.”

 

“I have a better option.” Daniel points to the parked bike. “Do you trust me?”

 

Sungwoon stares at him.

 

“Always.”

 

* * *

 

“You don’t live around here, right?” Sungwoon asks. The wind is rushing past both their helmeted heads and Daniel has to lean back a little to listen to him. “I am sorry you have to come all the way out.”

 

“No, I was at a bath house nearby.” Daniel answers back. “Thankfully.”

 

“Bath house?” Sungwoon echoes.

 

“Yeah, their budae jjigae is delicious. Let’s go together one day. You should relax for a bit.”

 

Sungwoon’s hands on Daniel’s waist tighten as he accelerates. “You just want to see me naked.”

 

“Yeah,” Daniel laughs. “That as well.”

 

Sungwoon quiets down, the only noise the wind whistling past their ears and the cacophony of the Busan morning traffic.

 

“I am sorry,” Daniel says once they come at a red light.

 

“About what?”

 

“You were working so hard for your exams and I felt like I am going to be left behind by you. So I got sulky and defensive. It’s not your fault I don’t tend to think about future.”

 

“No, it is my fault too.” Sungwoon says. Daniel can feel the cool glass frame of the helmet when Sungwoon leans his face against Daniel’s back. “I should have told you too, especially something this important. I just. You were right. I was afraid of having that conversation and what you might have said. If you would have asked me to stay.”

 

“I wouldn’t…”

 

“Because I would. I would stay if you ask me to.”

 

Daniel swallows down the lump in the throat. “You know I wouldn’t do that to you.”

 

“I know.” Sungwoon murmurs back. “And I was scared of that as well, I guess. Scared of what’s going to happen to us if I go. When I go.”

 

“We’ll figure it out.” Daniel replies. “I mean, there are a lot of ways we can do this, but not.. not being with you is not an option for me.”

 

_I love you._

“Yeah,” Sungwoon replies. “Me too.”

 

_I love you too._

 

“I might not even get into SNU.”

 

“That is bullshit.”

 

“Shut up.”

 

* * *

 

“Five minutes.” Daniel says as he kills the engine and takes the helmet from Sungwoon. “You can make it, right?”

 

“Yea,” Sungwoon nods.

 

“Concentrate!” Daniel says with a salute.

 

Sungwoon laughs but salutes back. “Concentrate!”

 

“Fighting!” Daniel grins and says.

 

“Fighting!” Sungwoon grins back.

 

“Daniel,” Sungwoon calls.

 

“Yeah?” Daniel looks up from where he is seated on the bike. Sungwoon leans down and plants a kiss on Daniel’s lips. Daniel stays still.

 

“Thank you.” Sungwoon murmurs. “I’m off.”

 

“I will wait for you here, baby!” Daniel yells after him and Sungwoon almost trips his way into the building.

 

* * *

 

Ok. Daniel doesn’t exactly ‘wait’ for Sungwoon because the exam is six hours and he has to get back and give Seongwoo his bike back.

 

But he comes back in time, even half an hour early to wait for Sungwoon’s exam to be done. There are a lot of parents waiting around, and really? It is just a mock exam. Daniel would die if his parents are like this.

 

Daniel sits down on the platform in front of the prep school, right under the shade of a nearby planted tree – a temporary oasis in the sweltering sun - and dozes off, leaning his back uncomfortably against the tree trunk.

 

He hears ruffles next to him and looks up to see Sungwoon sitting down next to him, knees pulled up to his chest.

 

“Ah..” Daniel yawns. “I fell asleep. How’d it go?”

 

“Don’t know,” Sungwoon shrugs. “Whatever. It’s just a mock exam.”

 

“Who are you?” Daniel pokes at Sungwoon’s temple and says. “And what have you done to my Sungwoon?”

 

“You are here.” Sungwoon turns his head to look at Daniel and says. “That’s enough for me.”

 

Daniel gazes at Sungwoon’s face. “Can I kiss you?”

 

“No, there are people around.”

 

“Thought so.” Daniel sulks and puts his face over his knees again.

 

Sungwoon’s fingers run through his hair, rubbing gently at Daniel’s head. Daniel looks up. Sungwoon just gives a small sigh before leaning in and kissing him. Daniel holds onto Sungwoon’s other hand and tastes the lips he has been missing for so long.

 

“Can I come visit you in Seoul?” He asks after they break apart, Sungwoon’s forehead leaning against Daniel’s shoulder.

 

“I’ll kill you if you don’t.” Sungwoon whispers into his chest.

 

Daniel smiles and holds Sungwoon closer.

 

A flock of dry leaves fall onto his lap and Daniel looks up to see new green buds all over the tree above his head.

 

It seems that their summer is coming to an end soon.

 

But that’s ok.

 

There are more seasons to look forward to.


End file.
